This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design high-performing architectures. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: rDS Read Replicas are asynchronous copies of a primary database instance.. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A analytics dashboard uses RDS MySQL and receives many read-only reporting queries that slow down the primary database. What should the architect add? The architecture review board prefers a managed AWS-native control.
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
S3 lifecycle policy
Why wrong: Lifecycle policies manage object storage cost, not RDS read load.
RDS read replica and route reporting queries to it
Read replicas offload read traffic from the primary instance.
Multi-AZ standby and route reads to the standby
Why wrong: The Multi-AZ standby is not used for normal read scaling.
A larger NAT gateway
Why wrong: NAT throughput does not solve database read contention.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
RDS read replica and route reporting queries to it
B is correct because an RDS read replica is a fully managed, native AWS solution that offloads read-heavy reporting queries from the primary RDS MySQL instance. The read replica asynchronously replicates data using the MySQL binlog, allowing reporting traffic to be routed to it without impacting the primary database's write performance. This directly addresses the slowdown caused by many read-only queries while satisfying the architecture review board's preference for a managed AWS-native control.
Key principle: RDS Read Replicas are asynchronous copies of a primary database instance.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
S3 lifecycle policy
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle policies manage object storage cost, not RDS read load.
RDS read replica and route reporting queries to it
Why this is correct
Read replicas offload read traffic from the primary instance.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
RDS Read Replicas are asynchronous copies of a primary database instance.
Multi-AZ standby and route reads to the standby
Why it's wrong here
The Multi-AZ standby is not used for normal read scaling.
A larger NAT gateway
Why it's wrong here
NAT throughput does not solve database read contention.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing the Multi-AZ standby (which is for failover only and cannot serve reads) with a read replica (which is specifically designed to offload read traffic), leading candidates to incorrectly select Option C as a managed solution for read scaling.
Detailed technical explanation
RDS read replicas use asynchronous replication based on the MySQL binary log (binlog) format, which means there is a small replication lag (typically sub-second in the same region) that can cause eventual consistency issues for reporting queries. In real-world scenarios, this is acceptable for analytics dashboards that tolerate slightly stale data, but applications requiring strong consistency must route critical reads to the primary. The read replica can also be promoted to a standalone primary in a disaster, providing additional resilience beyond read scaling.
Key takeaway
RDS Read Replicas are asynchronous copies of a primary database instance.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Review rDS Read Replicas are asynchronous copies of a primary database instance., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Design High-Performing Architectures — This question tests Design High-Performing Architectures — RDS Read Replicas are asynchronous copies of a primary database instance..
The correct answer is: RDS read replica and route reporting queries to it — B is correct because an RDS read replica is a fully managed, native AWS solution that offloads read-heavy reporting queries from the primary RDS MySQL instance. The read replica asynchronously replicates data using the MySQL binlog, allowing reporting traffic to be routed to it without impacting the primary database's write performance. This directly addresses the slowdown caused by many read-only queries while satisfying the architecture review board's preference for a managed AWS-native control.
Review rDS Read Replicas are asynchronous copies of a primary database instance., then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
RDS Read Replicas are asynchronous copies of a primary database instance.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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